Chapter 45
WREN
R eporters and photographers swarm around me like flies. If only they were as easy to swat away. It’s like the day the rest of the world found out about me.
Them, camping outside the office, my house, and Darcy’s place. Me, barging my way through, scowl on my face, and resisting the urge to tell them all to fuck off or to throw their cameras to the ground.
At least they’re leaving Mom alone now.
I make it inside Darcy’s building—where they’re not allowed to enter—and sigh in relief.
“They’ll give up soon, Mr. Ritcherson,” the security guard says.
I mock salute him. “Let’s hope.”
At this point, I’m beginning to think this is my new normal.
I don’t bother correcting him on the name, even though it’s incorrect. I’m a Ritcherson by blood, but even being married to one, I’m not neglecting my Porter last name. My mom deserves that much. She might have had financial help from Warren, but she raised me all by herself.
I’m drained as I get on the elevator and ride it to Darcy’s—uh, our—penthouse. That’s another thing that’s difficult to get used to. Saying ours. We. Us.
I’ve kept my place but am letting Remy live there rent-free. I don’t need the money, and he needs a place to stay, so it all works out.
I didn’t warn my husband that I was coming home because I don’t trust him one bit, and I’m going to catch him red-handed.
As suspected, when I walk through the door and call, “Honey, I’m home,” he rushes out of his home office instead of the bathtub, where I told him he should be.
Relaxing.
Away from the stress of work, of the scandal, and of the fallout that our marriage and the division of MediaCorp has brought. But noooo, he didn’t listen.
“You’re in so much trouble,” I say.
“Why’s that?” His nonchalance doesn’t fool me.
I crook my finger at him, and he steps toward me. Slowly. Agonizingly slowly.
When he reaches me, I wrap my arms around him. “You’re still in your suit, which means you didn’t unwind when I told you to.”
He tries to smile innocently, but he can’t pull it off. I see right through him. “Oh, that? You know how much I love my suits, so I got dressed into another one after my relaxing bath with bubbles and bubbly and music and all that other crap—I mean, relaxing crap you told me to do.”
“I believe you zero percent. Maybe try again.”
Darcy rises up on his tiptoes and whispers in my ear, “I thought I’d wait until you got home so we could have a bath together.”
I hold him tighter and squeeze his ass. “Better, but still bullshit.”
“Fine, I was responding to concerned shareholders, reassuring them all that the drama will pass and we’ll bounce back.”
“Hey, you almost sounded like you believe it this time.”
He doesn’t smile.
“It is true,” I remind him. “We will bounce back from this. Our news outlets have already stopped reporting on it after releasing our statements. It’s all out in the open, so there’s nothing else that could?—”
Darcy’s hand slaps over my mouth. “If you go and jinx us, I will hurt you.”
I shake my head. “Nothing you could do would hurt me as much as losing you did. I don’t ever want that to happen again.”
“It won’t.”
The truth is, we don’t really know if MediaCorp will bounce back as a whole, but with the restructuring, we can consolidate certain departments and do some shifting around if we need to. And if the company does start to go under, Darcy is willing to step back.
That’s a last resort though.
Until the moment it comes to that, we’re going to fight for our place in MediaCorp. Fight for our marriage. And fight for happiness.
Because what we have is worth fighting for.
It’s a once-in-a-lifetime type of love that has no boundaries. No contingencies. I love Darcy with all my heart.
He gave me the life I missed out on growing up while I’m still able to remain myself. I like to think that he gets the same from me.
Our lives were intertwined from the moment we were born, connected through neglect, love, pressure, and generational trauma.
“What are you thinking about?” he asks.
“I’m thinking about how much I love you.”
He slumps. “Ugh. Way to make me feel guilty about working when you told me not to.”
I pinch his side. “Serves you right for not listening to me when I’m always right.”
He cocks a brow. “Always?”
“Except when I’m wrong. Which is never.”
“Uh-huh. Never wrong. Sure. Let’s go with that.”
“Well, one could say that falling for my brother was very wrong, but it turns out even that ended up being right.”
“Mm, there’s no disputing that.” My husband kisses me softly and then hungrily. “Everything about that is definitely right.”
“Why don’t I take that bath with you now and show you how right we can be?”
Darcy’s gaze narrows. “You’re only doing it to make sure I actually relax, aren’t you?”
I kiss the tip of his nose. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Liar.”
“Come on, husband. Loving awaits.” I gesture toward the bathroom.
Darcy strips on the way, showing off every contour in his fine body, revealing inch by inch of smooth skin, lean muscle, and that sexy ass of his.
My feet gravitate toward him, following him to where there are candles, a full bath, and bubbles floating along the water. It almost makes me think he really was waiting for me.
But while I’m stripping out of my clothes, he climbs in and cringes, so I know the water’s been sitting here since he got home. Since before he got distracted with work.
“It’s freezing.” He pulls the hot water on and lets some of the cold go down the drain.
“At least I know you tried.”
“I was trying to do as you asked. That has to earn me some husband points.”
And because I know how much of a workaholic he is, it really does.
“Scooch forward so I can get in behind you.” When I join him and he leans back against me, I press my thumbs into his shoulders, massaging all the work tension away.
He moans, and the sound is downright sinful. “I could get used to this.”
“I hope you do. Because I plan to do this forever.”
“Massage me?”
I kiss the back of his head. “No, love you.”
The road to get to this point might have been bumpy. Full of jealousy, insecurities, and confusion. But all of that came from an attraction and connection so strong we didn’t know how to deal with it.
We’re bonded.
In marriage.
In life.
Forever.